Tom Perrotta’s eleven works of fiction include Election and Little Children, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and The Leftovers, which was adapted into a critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning HBO series. He’s now been on the podcast five times with Marrie. First in 2007 with The Abstinence Teacher, again in 2011 for The Leftovers, Mrs. Fletcher in 2017, and Tracy Flick Can’t Win in 2022.

We return to familiar New Jersey territory in Ghost Town, a place reminiscent of where Tom grew up, which gives him a chance to talk again about writers’ obsessions with childhood homes. He also talks about writing about race and American politics in fiction, as well as what seemingly simple and straight-forward writing can do for your story, and how he tackled point of view.

For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. You can help out the show and indie bookstores by buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. It’s stocked with titles by our guest authors, as well as our personal favorites. And on Spotify, you’ll find an album’s worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. It’s perfect for writing. Look for the artist, Just My Type. You can find hundreds of past interviews on our website.

(Recorded May 22, 2026)

Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Host: Marrie Stone
Music: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)

Tom Perrotta, author of GHOST TOWN Marrie Stone Download

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